By guest writer/editor Rosie McKinlay
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for book lovers. With only a few days between the Publisher’s Association of the West (PubWest) conference last week and Wordstock Festival the previous weekend, our city has been a frenzy of reading material since the month began, even more so than usual.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“Oh, I’m going to be a panelist at the PubWest Conference.”
2008’s PubWest conference was held at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel, which was temporary home for publishers from all over the country. For the last session of this year’s conference, publisher Gibbs Smith hosted a question and answer session with college and high school–aged students about our reading habits, our likes and dislikes, and our thoughts on new wordy technological advances (the Kindle™ reading device was a hot topic.) How special did I feel to have this honor? Extremely. With a name tag and a microphone, I felt at one with the publishing world. And though the sound of my own voice magnified across the Pacific Northwest Ballroom was alarming, I felt surprisingly comfortable. The audience was welcoming, and it was fun to offer my/our brains for the picking. And then they fed us!
For an aspiring editor, the networking opportunities were bountiful, and I hope to attend the conference next year.
If you went to Wordstock Festival 2008, there’s a good chance you left in a state of literary bliss with a bag full of McSweeney’s magazines, small press business cards, and clever bookmarks (book dart, anyone?). The great thing about Wordstock is the sheer volume you are exposed to. Plop down at any stage at any time and you can’t avoid enlightenment. Wander the rows of booths and become a publication expert in a matter of hours. I volunteered on the Author Team this year and was blessed with the opportunity to escort the likes of John Hodgeman and Jonathan Coulton from the VIP room to the Powell’s Stage.
Volunteering is a fantastic way to really feel the festival, to understand how much work goes into it and how important an event like this is. I recommend it for Wordstock 2009. There is a variety of jobs that get you inside all aspects of Wordstock—from the information booth to the sound booth. Whether you wish to hobnob with the authors themselves or just to discover one who will become a favorite, Wordstock has something for everyone. A good time for all or your (mere) five dollars back.
The bookworms of Portland have gone home to read for now, but isn’t it lovely to live in a city that houses events like Wordstock and the PubWest conference? And isn’t it nice to know that the book, in whatever form, is alive and well?
